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Messages - Richard

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1
Plakias / Re: Changes over the past few years
« on: June 13, 2023, 12:37:48 PM »
The whole front is being pedestrianised in the evening apparently - the sea front pavement is being widened in preparation.

The new (ish) pavement has had short lengths of plastic pipe sticking up out of it, all the way to Souda. I'd assumed that these were conduits for lights and this is also planned, though given they've been there a couple of years at least, who knows! I'm an amateur astronomer, and one of the appeals of south Crete is (was) the pristine, dark skies. I could still see the Milky Way from the Souda road, above the harbour, last week but less clearly than in previous years.

Plakias was always a resort, since my first visit in the early 90s, but still felt different to other Greek/Cretan resorts, in that some Cretan character had been retained. In about 2020, I noticed that most tavernas stopped using Greek greetings and farewells, instead using English. This seemed quite clear-cut, to me at least, as if a decision had been made to do so. Perhaps with the arrival of the new hotel by Paligremnos?

I don't feel like I'm 'getting away from it all' by going there, as I did 25 years ago. This has its uses, since I'm semi-retired now, can stay longer  and do some work there if needed.

In general, I feel that the recent changes seem to cater for a different kind of visitor than in the past, one who is going less to see Crete and more looking for a generic sunny resort. I know that change is inevitable, but I miss the 'old Plakias'.

2
Where to eat...or not! / Re: Lysseos
« on: October 16, 2022, 10:41:44 PM »
In Plakias at the moment and enjoying our evenings in Lysseos as usual.  However just to advise that Lysseos will be closing at the end of the season as Lucas and Lito are retiring.  Wishing them all the best but we sure will miss them.  Many great memories to look back on.

I was in Plakias last week, for a very short stay, and didn?t eat at Lysseos - I wish I?d read this before going! I will really miss the place.

Wasn?t everyone?s favourite, but felt the same when Harakas closed. Both were there since my first visit in ?95 (which seems a very long time ago now). I did see Sonja and Lambros early in June, having lunch on the prom, in the trees opposite Alianthos Beach hotel. Was nice to say hello!

3
Plakias / Re: Ok, 2021, lets go !!
« on: December 19, 2021, 08:33:54 PM »
We were in Plakias in September, having not been for two years and we were surprised at just how busy it was compared to 2019. Plakias is not the small village we first visited in 1995 and has now become a small resort. We always used to eat in the paligremnos at lunchtime and even that wasn?t up to its usual standard. The olives were so small in the Greek salary that there was no meat on them. At the start of the second week we had our usual saganaki and it had been deep fried rather than pan fried. It was so greasy we left it, not something we ever do 🤢
Sadly, we have taken the decision to not go back and now we just need to find something a bit smaller and not so busy. Any suggestions are very welcome 😕

I first went in 1995 also, and, having visited at least once a year since 2002, only really noticed the changes this year, somehow - changes were slow, nothing sudden, I suppose. The place ?felt different?, though, last year and this, and what stood out for me was that:


(i) it really isn?t ?the end of the road? any more - the tarmac road stopped just beyond what is now the harbour in ?95 (though it was clearly a work in progress), and I drove what felt like miles to the west, well beyond Souda, this year, to Rodakino and beyond

(ii) I felt that a general decision had been taken not to use even the basic Greek greetings and farewells in many the Tavernas, although perhaps that was just my experience. Maybe the arrival of the new hotel, if I?m correct?

(iii) the old Monastery above Souda, after a brief spell of rebuilding in ?07, was suddenly much more developed, not the ?hidden gem? I walked to many times


I wonder about Souda for next year. All it would need is a small shop to be self-contained, though I suppose that might be the beginning of the end there also!

4
Plakias / Re: Ok, 2021, lets go !!
« on: September 19, 2021, 09:23:03 AM »
Great to hear some news of Plakias although sadly we have missed both last year and this year, down to the pandemic shambles. Hoping to get back for next Greek Easter. Development of the front along from Alianthos to the far end doesn't sound good, hopefully Skinos beach end will stay much as it was, even allowing for the enormous wall and extra width road outside On The Rocks which I have seen on Nikos' website and facebook pages, but at least Nikos won't have to balance the pick up on the edge of the road anymore! We love Skinos beach, the bar, Siroko, the sunset and the dinosaur.

I still enjoyed Skinos Beach in May - love it, overlooked it for years - and I didn?t miss dodging the traffic by On The Rocks! Change to road etc not as bad as I thought it might be

5
Plakias / Re: Ok, 2021, lets go !!
« on: September 19, 2021, 09:16:16 AM »
May 2021, resort was quiet, felt very different in some ways, wonder if the new hotel has brought a change in attitude. During May (and last October) it felt as if a conscious decision had been made to use English, rather than Greek, greetings and farewells in many tavernas, but maybe that was chance.

Our plane also not anywhere near full, Heraklion not as quiet as I expected but still better than other years (bar 2020?).

Test, at the medical centre to the right, on the road out of the village to Lefkogia, was EUR20 and had our results (thankfully -ve!) in 15 mins; filled in the form on their website before we went and all was very smooth.

6
Where to eat...or not! / Re: Any recommendations
« on: September 19, 2021, 09:13:42 AM »
Think we were lucky but two weeks in October last year were fantastic. We?ve had the odd day?s rain in late September previously, but May, and especially September, are our favourite months. Warmer evenings in September, midday sun a little less intense, sea beautifully warm.

7
Where to eat...or not! / Re: Lysseos
« on: September 19, 2021, 09:11:45 AM »
i had mixed feelings initially, some years ago, largely I think because my expectations were too high because of such good reviews. The last two years, though, I?ve gone back, and really like it. Genuinely and unfussily friendly, good food, and, for me, a bit nostalgic, hasn?t changed much (if at all!) since I started visiting Plakias yearly about 20 years ago. I?d give it a try.

8
Well, it works. I filled-in a form on the surgery?s website yesterday, went at 12:00 today, had a nose-swab taken, slightly unpleasant but nothing to complain about, 20mins later had a negative result certificate, hard and electronic copies. Absolutely no bother at all.

9
Plakias / Re: Last week of May - still very quiet
« on: May 27, 2021, 04:21:19 PM »
Couldn?t agree more - so much nicer and more natural!

10
Plakias / Last week of May - still very quiet
« on: May 26, 2021, 06:49:13 PM »
Arrived Saturday 22nd, very quiet, dozers still levelling beach, some loungers not yet laid out, many favourite tavernas closed (Gio Ma, Lysseos, Manouses, Gorgona), but look set to open any day, some already open (eg Sirocco, Apanemo).

Masks needed at some outdoor sites (eg Phaestos) but apparently not others - and we had Aghia Triada to ourselves, just us and the chap in the ticket office on the site.

11
We arrived Sat 22nd, and I tried to book a ?72h before departure? PCR test at the new medical centre (https://www.plakias-doctor.gr/, EUR60) earlier today. They wrote back and told me that the rapid test (NADAL COVID-19 Ag rapid antigen test) meets the current UK criteria, is ready in minutes, and costs only EUR20! I?ve booked appointments for 12:00 Friday, for flights on Saturday. I?ll let everyone know how how we get on.

12
Plakias / Re: Oct 2020 - a few general impressions
« on: October 16, 2020, 08:54:11 AM »
Comment re Gorgona was an impression based on 'facelift' and unfamiliar faces serving a couple of times. Happy I'm wrong!

13
Plakias / Oct 2020 - a few general impressions
« on: October 13, 2020, 10:28:47 AM »
My observations - I tend to stick to my favourite tavernas, so these are impressions from visiting them, or from walking around the village. I wasn't 100% last year and may simply have missed some of it on other recent visits.


-Quite a few places now have names only in English

-Greeting and farewell now predominantly in English

-Not many Brits, and though has been a noticeable trend for some time, more so this year?

-New hotel; planning to cater for a different audience?

-Feels to me as if a concerted effort has been made to 'modernise' (?) things. Not dramatic, but my impression

-Gorgona seems to have changed hands


Not usually here later than September, however, maybe end of season 'malaise' has set in? This year's events can't be ignored, of course. I wonder has the new hotel changed things somewhat? Hard to imagine not. Few tavernas remain as I remember from even relatively recent visits, though maybe I'm just looking harder.

Still love it here though! The hills haven't changed much.


14
Where to eat...or not! / Re: Lysseos
« on: October 09, 2020, 09:03:55 PM »
Well, I finally tried the chicken curry tonight, 25 years after it was first recommended to me.

As others have mentioned I'm not sure it truly qualifies as a curry, maybe half curry-half tagine, but it was very good. I'll certainly have it again. Otherwise, the atmosphere was as pleasant as ever and it was good to eat there again, after a couple of years. It struck me that Lysseos is was one of very few tavernas that haven't really changed over the years.

15
Plakias / Re: Full time report ?
« on: October 04, 2020, 07:46:30 AM »
To the comment above, I was pretty much in a minority of one, end Aug-early Sep, mainly Germans in both the tavernas and accommodation (Skinos).

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